Greeting the Great Earl
by UndercaringUnderpaidNarrator
Summary: Young Lady Acors is meeting the infamous Earl Phantomhive for the first time, and first impressions are a powerful device. As the young lady's own philosophy says, an interesting introduction is far more important than a proper one.


[ShortFic]/[Slightly Off Track]

Disclaimer: Black Butler. Kuro. Copyright. Grey area. I am not Yana Toboso, nor am I, so help me, Funimation. For that matter, I don't have a demon butler either. I'm just text with a contract saying I have to tell you this stupid as shat tale.

Narrator's Note: Hurray. This is the first ever ShortFic. For those of you who have never popped by my profile. Welcome, I'm your freaking-so-happy-to-facking-be-here Narrator. And I hate you. There we go introductions out of the way. Alas, I must introduce myself now, because in a ShortFic, there is no time for my usual procrastinating banter. You are about to read a Black Butler ShortFic. And then you will be finished with it. And then you may move on with life. Like I'm going to do. Right facking now.

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**Greeting the Great Earl**

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"My lord." the noble woman smiled, exiting the carriage. Pulling her dress into a curtsey, she bent her knees and head to so. Then, she reached for an imaginary hand and kissed it. The coach in the front dared to sigh, getting off of his seat and closing the door to the carriage behind her. The noble woman continued, turning around with a point at the old coach. "How was that Hob? Was it good?"

The old man signed again, only this time heavier than the last. "My lady, you could wait for me to open the carriage like a proper girl of your stature. Especially as a child, there are rules of edict that you must abide by."

He was right in that description. The term 'young lady' was a bit of a stretch, for the girl was only eleven years old. But, as her status as the daughter of a Earl Acors, no one would see her as any different. Dare her butler do otherwise. "Ah Hobskins, you're just no fun, are you? I'll remember to wipe my mouth off after eating and all that, for this visit that's proper enough."

"Indeed my lady." he placed his hand of his chest and bowed. He did this not out of respect, but out of sly smite, knowing that she hated these formalities from her servants.

As expected, she crossed her arms with a pout. "Oh stop it Hob, that's an order."

A surprisingly approving smile crossed his old lips. He straightened back up, saying, "Of course."

Within a moment, the girl gave a nod of approval. Moving back to her previous subject, the female in the green dress edged with frills, motioned to the large manor ahead of them. "So, what do you think of that version? I think it's far cuter, then the one where I kick the door down, but not nearly as exciting. I bet Earl Phantomhive will be most surprised with my greeting if I do it that way." She rested her hands comfortably on her underdeveloped hips.

"I'm sure he will. However, might I suggest, for your father's sake at least, that you refrain from anything too obscure?" Hobskins replied. "It will be your first time meeting the young Earl after all."

The young lady turned back towards the carriage with a frown, "But that's so boring," she sighed, "I wanted to make an impression." Once in the carriage, she leaned over and took the door handle before Hobskins could take it instead. "You know, Elizabeth says he's just the cutest thing." Finally, she closed the door to the carriage and sat down.

"We haven't even reached his estate yet as we keep stopping to rehearse your entrance. I'm sure our tardiness will be memorable enough." From inside he could feel her annoyance emitting and smiled.

Upon arriving at the estate, the carriage pulled around the front of the manor and the girl did as her servant suggested. She decided she would try to make her introduction as ladylike as possible. Lord Phantomhive and his head butler, a devilishly handsome man dressed in back, waited for them. Ciel Phantomhive, she saw his small body from a distance and could hardly contain her excitement.

The young lady waited for Hobskins to open the door to the carriage and stepped out calmly. Closing her eyes, she smiled like the daughter of an Earl, and walked down the step. "Greetings Lord Phantomhive." she followed that with the curtsy that she had been practicing the entire ride. "My father, as well as I, would like to extend our graduated for having me as a guest this evening. I am delighted to make your acquaintance."

"As am I." the Lord Phantomhive smiled, standing straight and proper, but more than that comfortably. The girl looked up at him and straighten almost immediately, taken aback by him. Her eyes instantly drifted to his exposed eye, which was a beautiful color of blue. "Welcome to my estate." She then looked at him as a whole, gasping internally. For a moment, he appeared warm and inviting, welcoming her as a guest. But there was a flicker of something else, a blinking of cold annoyance, like her presence was a nuisance of some kind. Then it it was gone, and she had to wonder if she had really seen it, now caught up again in his welcoming warmth.

"I hope you didn't run into any trouble on the way here." he continued. She didn't know what to say in response, her words, her entrance, had been frozen in place by memorization.

She felt herself flush, an act that was completely inappropriate for their professional statures.

"My lady..." Hobskins started, noticing the red cross her face. The Earl's smile faded, as both him and his butler seem to also notice the growing color crawling across her face.

Instinctively, the young Lady Acors clasped her hands over her cheeks, and turned around quickly to face the carriage. She began to shake her upper body back and forth, in a manner where one could presume she was throwing a temper tantrum. And one would be right to presume so, as she spoke all the while, saying, "No-no-no! This isn't how it was supposed to go at all!"

Lord Phantomhive didn't seem to know how to respond to her outburst. Meanwhile, his butler looked quite amused. His amusement was subtle, however. That man's posture stayed the same, but his expression shifted in the slightest manner.

"My lady." Hobskins repeated, in a much different tone then the first time. This time he sounded more like a sighing old man.

"That wasn't cute, or cool, or fun, or anything at all! No-no-no-no! It just won't do!" she turned around and pointed at her servant, at this point ignoring the Earl and butler in front of her. "Hob, I want a do over."

"My lady, you can not just simply 'do over' you're first introduction." he sighed, looking far too old to be putting up with this kind of nonsense. "That is why it is called first introductions."

"Find a way to make it first again! That's an order!" she called.

"I can not just turn back time." he cut off, "That's beyond even me."

She turned around and opened the carriage door, getting ready to step back up. "Fine then, we'll get back in the carriage and go around the block and try again."

The good Lord Phantomhive stood baffled, and soon to be annoyed, at the next few unusual attempts to greet the Earl in a memorable manner.


End file.
